IS MR. GADKARI OVERSPEEDING IN THE FAST LANE ?

      Why is Nitin Gadkari, the Minister for Road Transport and Highways, in such a tearing hurry? It certainly hasn't got him any brownie points with the Deadly Duo, from all accounts. He has tripled the pace of construction of NHs from 12 kms per day in 2014 to 37kms/day in 2021, ramming his machines through virgin forests, protected wildlife reserves, fragile mountain terrain, prime agricultural lands, without any thought to either the environment or individual livelihoods. Which would be at least partially justified, I suppose, if it led to an improvement in driving experience or safety, but both official figures and personal experience show that it has not. 

   NCRB (National Crime Records Bureau) data shows that the number of deaths in road accidents has gone up from 146,133 in 2015 to 155,622 in 2021, an increase of about 7%, even though Gadkari has built 58000 kms of new national highways during this period. At a personal level, it used to take me 8 hours to drive from Delhi to Shimla in 1982 (when I bought my first second-hand car-a Fiat Padmini); it now takes me 9 hours, even though the entire stretch is now a multi-toll expressway. From what I've been reading, it's the same for the Yamuna Expressway (Delhi-Agra-Kanpur-Lucknow) or the Mumbai-Pune highway too. Even though we now have to pay heavy tolls, about Rs. 1.50 per km, where earlier there was no such levy. Clearly, something is not right here: what has improved after the massive financial and environmental costs incurred?

   A recent blog by Dilip D'Souza, a retired computer engineer, gives us another dimension. Comparing USA, China and India, Dilip states that the number of accident deaths per million vehicles in these three countries is 141, 814 and 2247, respectively. Simply put, our death rate is 15 times that of the USA and 3 times that of China. Another paradox- in the USA there is one death for every 50 road accidents, in India someone dies in every second accident- a 25 fold increase. These are horrendous figures, and I do hope some brave soul conveys them to Nitin Gadkari and the NHA (National Highway Authority) satraps, so that the former stops boasting that by 2030 our road infrastructure shall rival that of the USA. Not with these number of deaths, it won't, sir.

   In his race to enter the Guinness Book of records, Gadkari forgets that an expressway or a highway is more than just a six lane stretch of asphalt or macadam, dotted with toll plazas- it is an eco system with many parts, and proper attention has to be paid to each of them. These include proper and timely maintenance, enforcing road discipline. internationally accepted road designs, proper signages, setting up a highway patrol system, establishing medical and trauma centres to attend to accident victims. Yes, they will cost money, but they will prevent accidents and save precious lives.

   Unfortunately, in its single-minded pursuit of kilometers constructed, the NHA appears to have lost sight of these vital components of a highway system. Upkeep of these roads is dismal: the NHA collects more than Rs. 40000 crore every year from tolls- where is this money going? Repairs, diversions, widening-all these are never ending exercises and carry on for ever: there are at least six "diversions" between Sonepat and Chandigarh, replacing three lanes with one, and they have been there for at least the last two years. Where is the urgency to complete these works, considering that the motorist is paying a toll of Rs. 400 between Delhi and Chandigarh and still averaging the same speed he did in 1980? The Kalka-Solan expressway (just about 45 kms) has been in the making for the last 8 years, and the constant landslides and subsidence on it have made it a dangerous zone to drive on, with fatalities on it occurring every year. In its hurry to loot the public the NHA starts collecting toll even before a road is completed; though this matter has gone to some courts, they remain mute spectators (probably because My Lords are exempted from paying toll ?)

   Our road designs are atrocious: two or three lanes suddenly being squeezed into one without warning, too many medians and exits, most of them unmarked, uncontrolled access, badly designed grade separators. Signages are considered a waste of money. All this grabbed headlines in the crash (and death) of Cyrus Mistry. The administration tried its utmost to blame the driver for over speeding, but investigations by the International Road Institute and Mercedez-Benz have revealed that the culprit was bad road design and lack of warning signages. (Gadkari's reaction was his usual knee-jerk SOP- mandate compulsory six air bags for all cars.) This is a red herring to divert attention from the NHAI and police's failings: it is better to PREVENT an accident in the first place, than to simply try and reduce its impact once it has occurred.

  Where are the highway police and patrols to discipline our notoriously errant drivers? You can drive for a hundred kms on an expressway and not meet a single patrol car. In any case the traffic police appear interested in only overspeeding. What about the trucks and buses hogging the extreme right lane, forcing motorists to do the dangerous overtake-from-the-left maneuver? What about the stationary vehicles parked on the left lane, without any warning signs. Just these two violations account for a large number of accidents. And then there are idiots driving on the wrong side or the wrong speed lane. Everything goes unchecked and unpunished-it's like the wild west on these highways.

  There is only one trauma centre sign on the entire 400 km stretch between Delhi and Shimla. I didn't see any on the Yamuna Expressway. No dedicated ambulances, either. No wonder our fatality rate is 25 times that of the USA. There is no "golden hour" for an accident victim, no Good Samaritan Act: by the time he reaches a hospital it is usually too late. Why cannot some of that Rs. 40000 crore be used for establishing dedicated highway police units (not just sparing two constables from the local police station) and basic trauma facilities every 50 kms or so to avail of that golden hour? Simply ramping up the length of highways built is no achievement, what matters is the quality of these highways, their engineering, their safety record.

   The second issue on which Mr. Gadkari has gone into overdrive is the collection of tolls. The current FastTag system is working fine, a vehicle now takes just 40 seconds to cross a toll instead of the earlier five to ten minutes, jams at a toll plaza are a thing of the past, leakage of revenue has completely stopped. The country saves Rs.2800 crore worth of fuel every year because vehicles do not have to idle at the plazas any more. Mr. Gadkari deserves credit for all this, but he wants more. You would think the govt. would be happy and not try to fix something which is working ? Wrong. Mr. Gadkari now wants to introduce a new system of toll collection- the New Automated Toll Collection System.

  The new system would consist of one of two options being considered: one, a GPS in your car which will enable tracking of your vehicle and automatically deduct the toll from a connected bank account. Two, an automatic number plate recognition system: cameras at toll plazas will read your number plate and deduct the toll from your bank account. For this a new number plate will have to be installed by you. Both options are problematic.

  Let's not mince words: we are living in a surveillance state and the GPS system will only make it easier for the govt. to track your movements. In short, this option cannot be trusted. Germany has a GPS system for tolls, but it took almost a decade of trial and error before it could be introduced. Mr. Gadkari wants to do it in one year, by 2023 ! This will be worse than the unholy haste of GST and Demonetisation combined. And remember, Germany has only 10000 kms of expressways and 50 million cars; we have 150000 and 250 million!                                                                                                                                                            As for option two (the new number plate), how is it any different from a FastTag ? Why make 250 million vehicle owners repeat the ordeal of the HSRP ( High Security Registration Plate)? It has taken years and crores to install the HSRPs, and just when it is settling down Gadkari wants us to install a new set of plates, for no apparent reason.

  But, the after- effects of Covid notwithstanding. I smell a possible rat. There are big bucks involved in the proposed scheme. It costs roughly Rs. 1000/- to install one of these new fangled plates; for 250 million vehicles that amounts to Rs. 25000 crores! This is what the public will have to dish out and what the chosen contractors will earn if Gadkari has his way. The GPS option will probably cost even more. There's a bonanza awaiting the fortunate and favoured few here.

  I am also not comfortable with linking my bank account with any of these toll systems; I prefer a separate wallet ( as in the FastTag scheme) where I can decide how much to put. This way I can limit any possible damage by way of wrong deductions, hacking and cyber theft, which is becoming all too common. If the security structure of UIAID has collapsed like a house of cards the toll guys cannot be much better.

   There are other arrows in Gadkari's quiver and he has made public announcements of them all- electric highways, completely replacing petroleum fuel with ethanol, vehicle scrappage policy ( announced in 2020 but not yet visible on the ground even two years later), six air bags. I'm afraid he is going too fast with his shock and awe tactics: every second month we have to contend with some new rule or amendment in the Motor Vehicles Act. The Minister should remember that ours is a poor country (no matter what his boss may claim), changes cost money, people need some time to adjust to them, our bureaucracy is not known for its efficiency, confusion about rules only gives greater opportunity for the police to exercise their predatory instincts. Go step by step, sir, take your foot off the accelerator and move over to the  left lane. It's slower, but its safer and will eventually get you to your destination in one piece.